Fabulous Folklore with Icy

Canals occupy a strange place in the cultural imagination. They're manmade, yet offer a connection to nature, and they offer a means of transport, but one that's only accessible by boat. Some cities depend on canals, like Amsterdam or Venice, while in the UK, canals are often overlooked or forgotten spaces that have long outlived their original purpose. There is also surprisingly less folklore about canals than you might imagine, given the amount you can find about rivers or lakes. It's not that they're 'new' as a concept. The Romans built the Fossdyke to connect Lincoln to the River Trent in 50 CE, and the Grand Canal of China dates to the 10th century. Yet in Britain, the real Canal Age didn't begin until the later 18th century, with canals built to ease the transport of goods. While the railway took over as the transport of choice in the 19th century, the canals remained. Some stayed in use until the 1960s. So what legends or ghost stories have clung to these manmade British waterways? Let's find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/haunted-canals/ Seances and the Female Medium in British Cinema talk: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seances-and-the-female-medium-in-british-cinema-with-icy-sedgwick-zoom-tickets-1249421837349 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

We've no doubt seen plenty of content online about water's power to be a great healer. We need to drink it (this is your reminder for today), while people swear by cold water baths for their wellbeing. Then we think about how much water appears in nature, somewhere we're often counselled to go to improve our mental health. I think of how often I find myself heading towards water on my days off, whether that's the local burn, the mighty Tyne, or the unforgiving North Sea. But how often do we think of healing springs or wells as a potential destination? They seemed a logical choice for this week's entry into our Folklore of Water theme after the brief dabble with Holywell Priory last week. True, wells can also be used for other purposes, like wishing and cursing, which I've covered before. But here, we'll focus entirely on four springs devoted to healing - especially of the miraculous kind. Let's explore the folklore of healing wells in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/healing-wells-and-springs/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

A sense of mystery gathers around London's lost rivers, with their names whispered like forgotten deities from an ancient cult. Fleet, Tyburn, Walbrook, Effra, Westbourne, Neckinger. In some cases, they aren't so much lost, as buried. Sometimes, they break ground, appearing where you least expect them. Take the grey duct that carries the Westbourne above the District and Circle line at Sloane Square as an example. Yet the Walbrook seems truly lost. As Tom Bolton says, it "is the most mysterious, elusive and comprehensively buried of London's lost rivers".  While I was in London at the beginning of April, I decided to trace the route of the Walbrook using London's Lost Rivers: A Walker's Guide by Tom Bolton. Well, as best as you can, given the entire river is underground. Given the lore surrounding these lost rivers, I decided to share my expedition here as a form of folklore-meets-psychogeography. Let's see what we can learn both from the river, and the history of the London that overlays its route in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/walbrook-lost-river/ Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ULwWgoYIjh8 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

Visiting churches might not sound like everyone's idea of a great time. Yet the buildings are stuffed with strange carvings, peculiar graffiti, interesting artwork, and even sassy memorials. These church curiosities tell us a lot about what mattered to people in centuries past. They also preserve folklore, legends, and the beliefs of the congregation. From apotropaic marks scratched onto fonts, to stone guardians on the outer walls, churches are a fascinating repository of folk practices...if you know where to look. That's precisely what we're going to do here, looking at gargoyles, grotesques, graffiti, carvings, and even door knockers.  Let's figure out what they have to do with folklore, and what they tell us about our forebears in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/church-curiosities/ The Folklore and Legends of Rosslyn Chapel bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-of-63008388 The Folklore & Legends of Notre Dame bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-of-82235383 Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

W.J. Gilbert is a writer, storyteller, and creator of the YouTube channel Eerie Edinburgh. Based in Edinburgh, he’s the author of the best-selling Hidden Haunts: Scotland, Hidden Haunts: England, and Ghostly Tales of the NC500 — a haunted journey through Scotland’s most legendary road trip route. His next book, Hidden Haunts: Ireland, is currently in development. His writing explores the eerie overlap between folklore, history, and the paranormal — with a particular focus on the overlooked, unreported, and half-forgotten stories that linger just beneath the surface. We chat about the importance of keeping humans at the centre of ghost stories, the link between ghost stories and local history, just why everyone loves a White Lady ghost, and how to preserve stories of ghost encounters for posterity. Find W.J. Gilbert online: https://eerieedinburgh.com/ Get Hidden Haunts: Scotland: https://amzn.to/3ECBceQ (affiliate link) Get Hidden Haunts: England: https://amzn.to/42LRGJI (affiliate link) Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

Churches can be sites of divination, haunted locations, and important community hubs. Yet in Wallsend, Holy Cross Church is notorious for a tale of witches and heroic derring-do. The ruin might not look like it now, but appearances can be deceptive. It's not just a chapel. Throw in a midnight ritual, grotesque women, a desecrated corpse and an infamous lord for good measure.  Is it fact, folklore, or total fiction? Let's explore the legend of the Witches of Wallsend in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/holy-cross-church/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

Here in the 21st century, death and burial often occur as part of a sanitised process. Death happens away from home, often in hospitals, and funerals are usually tidy, respectful affairs. We can forget that this wasn't always the case, and that our quaint, inner city gardens were sometimes putrescent burial grounds, crammed with rotting remains. Even worse, history contains legends like that of Enon Chapel. This awful story is far from being folklore, but rather a dark chapter in the history of English burials. Since folklore and history so often make good bedfellows, I thought it might be helpful to examine this notorious burial place. After all, it brings with it a dose of London history, scandal, a disavowal of burial practices, and capitalism gone mad. Let's explore what happened at Enon Chapel in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/enon-chapel/ Conway Hall talk about folklore rebels on 26 April: https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/whats-on/event/art-magic-lore-wild-talents/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

You would absolutely know a lychgate if you saw one. They make popular backdrops for wedding photos, and provide a quaint air of rustic charm to country churchyards. They're the wooden or stone gateway, complete with tiled roof, that marks the entry into the churchyard. Not all churches have them, and they're far more common outside churches in the countryside than in suburban or city-centre churches. Yet they do have some folklore attached to them. Let's take a look at what they were for and what beliefs they gave rise to. We'll also look at some popular burial markers you might see in churchyards or cemeteries to broaden our focus to the wider burials. So let's have a look in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/lychgates-and-burial-markers/ Fairies in Northumberland talk on 19 April: https://www.newcastlecastle.co.uk/talks Conway Hall talk about folklore rebels on 26 April: https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/whats-on/event/art-magic-lore-wild-talents/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

I started out with the intention of looking at unusual church names. The problem was, this offered the potential to accidentally poke fun at their congregations. It also didn't help that most churches in the UK have pretty similar names. They're named for individual saints, like St Nicholas' Cathedral in Newcastle, or even all saints like, funnily enough, All Saints. Otherwise, they're named for their location. Yet many churches have such names and preserve a touch of their history, or that of their location, through their names - much like pubs. So I thought I'd look at those churches whose names deviate, even slightly, from the usual 'St Andrew's Church' format. So when I say 'unusual', that's what I mean. Not like the usual names, rather than weird or strange! So let's explore the origins of some church names in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/church-names/ Corpse Roads talk on 2 April: https://www.folkloremythmagic.com/event-details/online-icy-sedgwick-a-tour-of-an-english-corpse-road Fairies in Northumberland talk on 19 April: https://www.newcastlecastle.co.uk/talks Conway Hall talk about folklore rebels on 26 April: https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/whats-on/event/art-magic-lore-wild-talents/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

Looking at the origins of sports team names might seem antithetical to folklore. Yet sport forms part of the ritual calendar for many people, whether on a personal or a mass scale. Look at the good luck rituals people follow before they watch their team play. Or how about the sporting events that become part of the folk tradition of a place through their regularity? Some team names refer to the history of the area. Others refer to the specific history of the team. Some are generic, designed to sound powerful or intimidating. And others have links to folklore! So let's explore the origins of sports team names in UK football, NHL hockey, and minor league baseball in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore! Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/sports-team-names/ Corpse Roads talk on 2 April: https://www.folkloremythmagic.com/event-details/online-icy-sedgwick-a-tour-of-an-english-corpse-road Fairies in Northumberland talk on 19 April: https://www.newcastlecastle.co.uk/talks Conway Hall talk about folklore rebels on 26 April: https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/whats-on/event/art-magic-lore-wild-talents/ Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/ Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595 Buy Icy a coffee or sign up for bonus episodes at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick Fabulous Folklore Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/fabulous_folklore Pre-recorded illustrated talks: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick/shop Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7 Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick Find Icy on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/icysedgwick.bsky.social 'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/